The Jeep Gladiator was a full-size pickup truck based on the SJ Jeep Wagoneer SUV. It was introduced in 1962. Gladiator designations were: J200 for short wheelbase trucks up to mid 1965 followed by J2000; J300 for long wheelbase trucks up to mid 1965 followed by J3000; and J4000 which was the first model with the longer 131″ wheelbase.
Gladiators were available in RWD and 4WD with a solid front axle or independent front suspension, with the optional dual rear wheels in configurations such as cab and chassis, wrecker, stake bed, and chassis mounted campers with extended wheelbases (see the Dually Registry listed in the links below for more information). Variations on the bed were: Townside, Thriftside (a “stepside”), and stakebed. The Gladiator name was dropped after 1971, after which the line was known simply as the Jeep pickup with J2000 and J4000 models until 1973 then J10 and J20 from 1974 to 1988.
Military versions of the Jeep pickup included the M-715 and M-725.
In late 2004 a new Jeep Gladiator concept was introduced. While not actually intended to be for sale, it was used as a demonstration of what Jeep was planning on in the future. The Gladiator features an open-air canvas roof, fold-down windshield, removable doors and has an expandable truck bed. The Gladiator has a 2.8-liter, 4-cylinder common-rail turbo diesel engine that provides 163 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The truck has a 6-speed manual transmission. Ground clearance is 13.7 inches, with a break-over angle of 23.2 degrees and an approach angle of 47.6 and departure angle of 38.0 degrees. Front and rear tires are 34 inches and are mounted on 18×8 inch wheels. The Jeep Gladiator has a 1,500-pound payload.
May 24th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Jeep Gladiator is a pickup truck with a touch of a Jeep. Not bad. But I still would want to have the recent Jeep JT. It has better performance and design than this one. I’ve seen some of the earlier versions of it and I just noticed to you really need a Jeep hitch step to get into the back. Looking at the Jeep Gladiator…I can view the military trucks used in movies since it looks quite similar.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
This is the type of truck that I have been waiting for. I used to have a 4×4 Comanche Chief pickup truck with the 4.0 litre engine. Talk about fun! More cab space would have been great. Build the truck. I will buy it!
February 12th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
What a nice truck. Looks good. I especially like the side-mounted tire and embossed tailgate. Good nostalgia. Add a diesel and I buy one.